The Chronicles of Riddick (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut)

Starring:Vin Diesel, Colm Feore, Thandie Newton, Judi Dench, Karl Urban, Alexa Davalos, Linus Roache, Yorick van Wageningen, Nick Chinlund, Keith David, Mark Gibbon, Roger R. Cross, Terry Chen, Christina Cox, Nigel Vonas, Shawn Reis, Fabian Gujral, Ty Olsson, Peter Williams (IV), Darcy Laurie
Director: David Twohy
Studio: Universal
Product Type: DVD

Riddick Trilogy (Pitch Black/ The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury/ The Chronicles of Riddick)

Average customer rating:

Now we need a pre- and post-Riddick trilogy...
Riddick's dark furia?
Loved this set of movies
You Keep What You Kill!
Totally surrounded by Riddick!

Riddick Trilogy (Pitch Black/ The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury/ The Chronicles of Riddick)
Starring: Vin Diesel , Colm Feore , Thandie Newton , Judi Dench , and Karl Urban
Director: David Twohy , and Peter Chung
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Underworld (Unrated Extended Cut)
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ASIN: B000EQHXN2
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Amazon.com

Pitch Black
Owing a major debt to Alien and its cinematic spawn, Pitch Black is a guilty pleasure that surpasses expectations. As he did with The Arrival, director David Twohy revitalizes a derivative story, allowing you to forgive its flaws and submit to its visceral thrills. Under casual scrutiny, the plot's logic crumbles like a stale cookie, but it's definitely fun while it lasts.

A spaceship crashes on a desert planet scorched under three suns. The mostly doomed survivors include a resourceful captain (Radha Mitchell), a drug-addled cop (Cole Hauser), and a deadly prisoner (Vin Diesel) who quickly escapes. These clashing personalities discover that the planet is plunging into the darkness of an extended eclipse, and it's populated by hordes of ravenous, razor-fanged beasties that only come out at night. The body count rises, and Pitch Black settles into familiar sci-fi territory.

What sets the movie apart is Twohy's developing visual style, suggesting that this veteran of B-movie schlock may advance to the big leagues. Like the makers of The Blair Witch Project, Twohy understands the frightening power of suggestion; his hungry monsters are better heard than seen (although once seen, they're chillingly effective), and Pitch Black gets full value from moments of genuine panic. Best of all, Twohy's got a well-matched cast, with Mitchell (so memorable with Ally Sheedy in High Art) and Diesel (Pvt. Caparzo from Saving Private Ryan) being the standouts. The latter makes the most of his muscle-man role, and his character's development is one more reason this movie works better than it should. --Jeff Shannon

Dark Fury - The Chronicles of Riddick (Animated)
Taking a page from The Animatrix, Dark Fury is part of a new trend of bridging theatrical sequels. As an official product of a franchise, the 35-minute anime benefits from having the original actors voice the characters, including Vin Diesel as Riddick. This story opens with the new action hero and the two other survivors of Pitch Black already caught by a giant spaceship filled with dread. The sinewy leader has a unique--and creepy--jail for master villains and she has her sights set on Riddick. The film--indeed the series--is indebted to animator Peter Chung, who brings his techno style from his Aeon Flux series. His smooth animation for Riddick doesn't reinvent the character as much as give him a new, appealing fluidity. As anime goes, there's nothing really new here--plenty of action, cool killers, and dramatic spurts of blood--but it's a building block for how this genre might enliven movie series and sequels in the future. --Doug Thomas

Description

Journey to a remote, hostile planet with a group of marooned passengers who learn that escaped convict Riddick isn't the only thing they have to fear in Pitch Black. Then, see him battle ruthless soldiers of fortune and vicious creatures in renowned animator Peter Chung's The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury. And finally, Riddick finds himself humanity's unlikely champion in the special effects-fueled The Chronicles of Riddick. Join Riddick in three times the action, three times the adrenaline and three times the adventure as the Riddick Trilogy makes complete one of the greatest sci-fi epics of all time!

Customer Reviews:

Now we need a pre- and post-Riddick trilogy..........2007-06-05

This big winners in this series were Crematoria, Elementals, the Under-verse, Necros, and Riddick as a surviving Furyan. Anything that helped in understanding these five essential elements of the Riddick Trilogy were greatly appreciated. The rest was just...entertaining.

I watched and read The Chronicles of Riddick (III) before watching Pitch Black, although I had read the book Pitch Black. The Chronicles was a better film than Pitch Black, but I know Pitch Black helped make sense of some of The Chronicles. There were a number of ah-ha moments... Riddick's relationship with the Imam and "Jack", why he is on the run, "Jack's" statements that were repeats of what she learned and heard in Pitch Black, and more.

Dark Fury is an animated short that really does a number of neat, but non-essential things: introduces Toombs the merc, demonstrates Riddick's fighting abilities, and explains the tightness of him, Imam, and Jack.

The Chronicles of Riddick (III) was great. As I mentioned, the concept of and cinematography "on" Crematoria was worth the price of the movie.

There's what is missing. We really need to know more about the pre-Pitch Black portion of Riddick's life. What was Furya really like... a futurist Sparta? And then, given that Riddick got to "keep what he kills," what does he do with the Necros when he becomes Lord Marshall? What happens to their search for the Under-verse?

Oh, right... this is fiction, science-fiction. But I still want to know what happens next!

Riddick's dark furia?.......2007-02-16

Violent but good entertainment for those who are able to discern reality from fiction, usage of an dramatic license, realty, and hype. Those unable to, will be disturbed and should be allowed to view under Compentent, mature supervision.

Loved this set of movies.......2007-01-16

These movies are so cool. I rented the Chronicles of Riddick from Hastings and loved it so much I had to buy it. Having the whole series in this easy package makes the last movie so much more interesting. The first movie introduces the character of Riddick and explains the connection he and Jack (the girl whose life he saves) have. Plus, for those of us who enjoy mixing diffrent genres the first movie is action horror where the third and final movie is more action drama. The second movie helps provide an explanatory bridge between the two. Also, it is a great way to see the developement of Jack and Riddick's trust relationship. However I still wish that the producers had been able to use the actors instead of animated characters in The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury. All around a really good set of movies. Buy it if you like great action, a love story, evil monsters, and good (or should I say better) guys against the evil ones.

You Keep What You Kill!.......2006-10-29

Buy this CD for "Pitch Black" and (especially) "The Chronicles of Riddick". "Dark Fury" is an animation piece which I won't comment on.

"Pitch Black" uses the standard SF plot of crash-survivors battling for their lives against hostile alien life forms. Vin Diesel, as a convict and murderer, adds another dimension to the story though. The production also adds some fresh twists and great effects. This is VERY good stuff despite the familiar theme.

The gem in this collection is "The Chronicles of Riddick". This is imaginative 'space opera' at its finest. The production is lavish with detailed and overwhelming sets of mysterious deities. The dark plot is driven by otherworldly religious fanaticism, ugly politics, human greed and Riddicks revenge. There's lots of action here but thought provoking grist as well. The movie stands out as some of the very best SF ever made.

Both movies are the Directors Cuts and are burned on a separate disk. Each movie has Special Features/Bonus Material, including director's and actors' comments. Don't pass this DVD up. It's well worth the money.

Totally surrounded by Riddick!.......2006-09-24

Great box set and I'm really happy that it "Includes ALL 3 MOVIES from the RIDDICK TRILOGY!" Boy, it would have been scary if there were only two movies from the trilogy...

The Chronicles of Riddick (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut)

Average customer rating:

Hd-dvd transfer is awesome. 5 stars plus
worth watching over and over and over!!!!!
HD-DVD - This one is wonderful
best HD DVD transfer available
Broke the Mold

The Chronicles of Riddick (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut)
Starring: Vin Diesel , Colm Feore , Thandie Newton , Judi Dench , and Karl Urban
Director: David Twohy
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Pitch Black (Unrated) [HD DVD]
Van Helsing (Widescreen Edition)
Serenity (Widescreen Edition)
The Bourne Supremacy (Widescreen Edition)
Batman Begins [HD DVD]

ASIN: B0002VEUV2
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Customer Reviews:

Hd-dvd transfer is awesome. 5 stars plus.......2007-06-24

The best sci-fi movie of all time. great story. great action. Guns, swords the works. This is a must own.

worth watching over and over and over!!!!!.......2007-05-27

I will not go into a big long review. The movie is too well put together, and executed to have any amount of words do it any justice. To put it planly and blunty it is visually stunning. It is incredibly well thought out. The action is fantastic. Vin Diesel is Riddick!! You can see and learn more and more with each and every viewing. Those that do not get it, simply don't want too. That is there choice and so be it, but I have not seen many movies that can top this one in any area. It should be remembered right in line with the Lord of the Rings movies in scope and depth. WoW wow WOW. Cannot wait for number 2 and 3. No movie deserves more consideration for sequel than this one and it was meant to be a trilogy from the start.

HD-DVD - This one is wonderful.......2007-05-12

A lot of diverse comments have been written about this movie. I just plainly love it. Don't mistake me, I don't like Vin Diesel this much but in this movie, he is part of a greater good. I really liked the interaction between Vin Diesel, Judi Dench - one of my favorites actors, Thandie Newton and Karl Urban. No, it's also the perfect picture quality of this HD-DVD which makes me really want to watch this film. The CGI is amazing, the sunrise on Crematoria, the exhaust plumes of the starships of the Necros and more. This is really stunning! I also own the directors cut DVD but this is far away from what we see on this HD-DVD. I enjoyed the whole movie much more and felt much more in the movie than with the SD-DVD. This DVD doesn't have the emotional touch of Batman Begins but it is as good from picture quality.
If you are into Sci-Fi and Action and want to see a consistent story, I highly recommend the HD-DVD for you.
Be prepared to 'see more' on this HD-DVD than you saw before.

best HD DVD transfer available.......2007-05-07

The more times I watched this movie, the more I appreciate how interesting and unique it is. It is true no-compromise sci-fi for fans of the genre. The extra scenes on the DVD help flesh out the movie as well.

About the HD DVD transfer. It is the best one on the market for the Toshiba player. I have about ten HD DVD movies and have been very disappointed with a lot of the transfers. Not sure if its the compression some use or the original source material. Most don't do the format justice. This is the HD DVD that I use to show off the system. It has amazing clarity. They took their time and did it right.

Broke the Mold.......2007-03-29

The Chronicles of Riddick steps outside the traditional SciFi box. Good and Evil are blurred. This film is Vin Diesel's best performance by far. The best part is that this film built on top of the weaker film , Pitch Black. Sequels are usually disappointing, but like Empire Strikes Back, and Godfather II, this film trumps its forbearer. If you are looking for an original SciFi action thriller this movie is for you.

Average customer rating:

Hd-dvd transfer is awesome. 5 stars plus
worth watching over and over and over!!!!!
HD-DVD - This one is wonderful
best HD DVD transfer available
Broke the Mold

The Chronicles of Riddick [HD DVD]
Starring: Nick Chinlund , Robert Daly , Keith David , Judi Dench , and Colm Feore
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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Similar Items:

Pitch Black (Unrated) [HD DVD]
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The Bourne Supremacy (Widescreen Edition)
Batman Begins [HD DVD]

ASIN: B000E1ZK4Q
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Customer Reviews:

Hd-dvd transfer is awesome. 5 stars plus.......2007-06-24

The best sci-fi movie of all time. great story. great action. Guns, swords the works. This is a must own.

worth watching over and over and over!!!!!.......2007-05-27

HD-DVD - This one is wonderful.......2007-05-12

best HD DVD transfer available.......2007-05-07

Broke the Mold.......2007-03-29

Dark Fury - The Chronicles of Riddick (Animated)

Average customer rating:

Good segway
Dark Fury
Good animation.
good but short
Liked it, yet would have wanted more from it

Dark Fury - The Chronicles of Riddick (Animated)
Starring: Vin Diesel , Rhiana Griffith , Keith David , Roger Jackson (VI) , and Tress MacNeille
Director: Peter Chung
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Chronicles of Riddick [HD DVD]
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The Chronicles of Riddick
Underworld - Evolution (Widescreen Special Edition)

ASIN: B0001O3YA8
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Amazon.com

Taking a page from The Animatrix, Dark Fury is part of a new trend of bridging theatrical sequels. As an official product of a franchise, the 35-minute anime benefits from having the original actors voice the characters, including Vin Diesel as Riddick. This story opens with the new action hero and the two other survivors of Pitch Black already caught by a giant spaceship filled with dread. The sinewy leader has a unique--and creepy--jail for master villains and she has her sights set on Riddick. The film--indeed the series--is indebted to animator Peter Chung, who brings his techno style from his Aeon Flux series. His smooth animation for Riddick doesn't reinvent the character as much as give him a new, appealing fluidity. As anime goes, there's nothing really new here--plenty of action, cool killers, and dramatic spurts of blood--but it's a building block for how this genre might enliven movie series and sequels in the future. --Doug Thomas

Description

Extend The Chronicles of Riddick experience with this all-new, visionary animated film that bridges the incredible stories of Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick . Starring Vin Diesel as the voice and likeness of Riddick and created by Peter Chung (The Animatrix, MTV's "Aeon Flux"), one of the world's most revered animators, The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury delivers thrilling sci-fi adventure that takes Riddick, Jack and Imam on a death-defying confrontation with an intergalactic bounty hunter.

Customer Reviews:

Good segway.......2007-05-19

This movie is supposed to be a "filler" between Pitch Black Pitch Black (Unrated) [HD DVD] and Chronicle of Riddick The Chronicles of Riddick (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut). The story isn't bad, and it continues in the Riddick tradition. I was sad it was not longer, but I was fairly happy with the story. It was interesting to see some of the behind the scenes commentary which helped paint some of the Riddick universe's picture.

Dark Fury.......2007-04-11

This was gift for my husband who loves the whole chronicles of riddick thing.He loves it so i gave it 5 stars for that reason.I have not seen it nor do i plan to so if he loves it i love it.

Good animation........2007-03-08

Story line was good. Covers events between "Pitch Black" and "Chronicles". However it was too short and may have been better if live action instead of animime.

good but short.......2007-02-07

I am an anime fan and I love this movie. It is very short but I always think of it when I am watching cronicles of Riddick. I love the animation of Peter Chung it is brilliant and beautiful, not to mention the awesome fight scenes. I wish there were more of these to enjoy, 35 minutes is not enough for this amazing and inventive story.

Liked it, yet would have wanted more from it.......2006-10-20

I can only give this short 3 stars because even though I liked it I also felt like there could have been more to it. I liked both Pitch Black and the Chronicles or Riddick and it I like the idea of filling in certain gaps. I believe there are a number of angles that could be covered in the Riddick storyline. With Dark Fury I think that it helps, only slightly, in explaining the beginning of Chronicles of Riddick sequal and one of the scenes in the sequal when Riddick and Jack are on Crematoria.

Yet, like other reviewers this was just to short for me. Just when I had gotten into it, it was over. This is critical to me since I was thinking about buying it. I am glad that I had rented it, where I watched it twice and then after that I got all I needed from it.

I think this anime would have better if it was a part of a series dealing with Riddick's past. It would be better if they made a series of Riddick animations and then sold them together. It would nice to know what happened to Riddick during his years in prison. It would be nice to know about his escape from Butcher Bay (I guess the video game deals with that). It would be nice to know what exactly are the Furyans race. It would be nice to know what happens after the Chronicles of Riddick sequal. Covering these in an animated series would have made Dark Fury more appealing. Also, I am not one for the Ion Flux style of animation. It made Riddick look smaller than in the movies. He looked real scrawny where in the movies his is bigger.

So my recommendation is to rent, not buy, unless you are really a Riddick fan and plan on making this a part of your collection.

The Chronicles of Riddick - Pitch Black (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut)

Average customer rating:

Director's log
Great movie even better on HD-DVD
good movie
Not too hot
SPACESHIP-WRECK SURVIVORS

The Chronicles of Riddick - Pitch Black (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut)
Starring: Vin Diesel , Radha Mitchell , Cole Hauser , Keith David , and Lewis Fitz-Gerald
Director: David Twohy
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Chronicles of Riddick [HD DVD]
Batman Begins [HD DVD]
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The Mummy [HD DVD]
Sleepy Hollow [HD DVD]

ASIN: B0001O3YD0
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

Owing a major debt to Alien and its cinematic spawn, Pitch Black is a guilty pleasure that surpasses expectations. As he did with The Arrival, director David Twohy revitalizes a derivative story, allowing you to forgive its flaws and submit to its visceral thrills. Under casual scrutiny, the plot's logic crumbles like a stale cookie, but it's definitely fun while it lasts.

Customer Reviews:

Director's log.......2007-05-02

(Pitch Black) is an unrated movie about transporting forty passengers and one Furian murderer. The ship gets caught in a meteor shower, kills the captain. The ship crashes on a baren desert planet. Soon the as lights go off, the only one they can trust is the murderer,because he's the only one who can see in the dark so I hope you're not afraid of the dark.

Great movie even better on HD-DVD.......2007-03-24

The extras are sparse, but the transfer really shows how much better HD-DVD looks over DVD. I have both and side to side you can see the lifelike coloring of the flashlights in the dark, details are clear. The movie is one of my wife's favorites and one of Diesels best.

good movie.......2007-03-06

not saying Vinn Deisel knows how to be anything else, but I do think he plays this role well. I genuinely enjoyed this movie.

Not too hot.......2007-02-15

Not sure what I was expecting but it was a let down as far as the movie goes, would not suggest to other to spend the bucks on this one.

SPACESHIP-WRECK SURVIVORS.......2007-01-27

Transport crashes onto hostile planet.
The usual crew and passengers(Claudia Black),
and bounty-hunter(Cole Hauser) with murderer(Vin Diesel).
The worst kind of murderer, experienced, smart, with piloting skills.
Monsters (billions of 'em) and mazes.

What should you do when it's hopeless?
Give up hope, and then work the problem!

DRAMA,ACTION,THRILLER,VIOLENCE,DRUGS

If you like this movie try
Silent Running
Event Horizon
Blade Runner (The Director's Cut)
Outland

The Chronicles of Riddick (Theatrical Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Hd-dvd transfer is awesome. 5 stars plus
worth watching over and over and over!!!!!
HD-DVD - This one is wonderful
best HD DVD transfer available
Broke the Mold

The Chronicles of Riddick (Theatrical Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Vin Diesel , Colm Feore , Thandie Newton , Judi Dench , and Karl Urban
Director: David Twohy
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Sci-Fi Action | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Futuristic | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Space Adventure | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Pitch Black (Unrated) [HD DVD]
Van Helsing (Widescreen Edition)
Serenity (Widescreen Edition)
The Bourne Supremacy (Widescreen Edition)
Batman Begins [HD DVD]

ASIN: B0002VEUTY
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Customer Reviews:

Hd-dvd transfer is awesome. 5 stars plus.......2007-06-24

The best sci-fi movie of all time. great story. great action. Guns, swords the works. This is a must own.

worth watching over and over and over!!!!!.......2007-05-27

HD-DVD - This one is wonderful.......2007-05-12

best HD DVD transfer available.......2007-05-07

Broke the Mold.......2007-03-29

The Chronicles of Riddick (Unrated) (UMD Mini For PSP)

Average customer rating:

Decent sci-fi flick, better as a Director's Cut
Mediocre Mediocre Mediocre
A Mediocre Sci-Fi Epic
I'm not afraid of the dark -- just this sequel.
The Best Version So Far

The Chronicles of Riddick (Unrated) (UMD Mini For PSP)
Starring: Nick Chinlund , Robert Daly , Keith David , Judi Dench , and Colm Feore
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

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Similar Items:

Van Helsing (UMD Mini For PSP)
Pitch Black - The Chronicles of Riddick
XXX (UMD mini for PSP)
Sin City (UMD Mini For PSP)
Armageddon (UMD Mini For PSP)

Accessories:

Sony PSP PlayGear Amp
Sony PSP Comfort Grips Black
Sony PSP Psyclone Nodus Sound System
Sony PSP Travel Case

Product Features:

Vin Diesel (XXX, The Fast and the Furious) stars in this electrifying special-effects-fueled action spectacular! After years of outrunning ruthless bounty hunters, escaped convict Riddick suddenly finds himself caught between opposing forces in a fight for the future of the human race. Now, waging incredible battles on fantastic and deadly worlds, this lone, reluctant hero will emerge as humanity

ASIN: B0009NJFP4
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Amazon.com

Bigger isn't always better, but for anyone who enjoyed Pitch Black, a nominal sequel like The Chronicles of Riddick should prove adequately entertaining. Writer-director David Twohy returns with expansive sets, detailed costumes, an army of CGI effects artists, and the star he helped launch--Vin Diesel--bearing his franchise burden quite nicely as he reprises his title role. The Furian renegade Riddick has another bounty on his head, but when he escapes from his mercenary captors, he's plunged into an epic-scale war waged by the Necromongers. A fascist master race led by Lord Marshal (Colm Feore), they're determined to conquer all enemies in their quest for the Underverse, the appeal of which is largely unexplained (since Twohy is presumably reserving details for subsequent "chronicles"). With tissue-thin plotting, scant character development, and skimpy roles that waste the talents of Thandie Newton (as a Necromonger conspirator) and Judi Dench (as a wispy "Elemental" priestess), Twohy's back in the B-movie territory he started in (with The Arrival), brought to vivid life on a vast digital landscape with the conceptual allure of a lavish graphic novel. But does Riddick have leadership skills on his resumé? To get an answer to that question, sci-fi fans will welcome another sequel. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Decent sci-fi flick, better as a Director's Cut.......2005-07-27

Just a quick review here to offset the previous review.

Chronicles of Riddick is campy, plain and simple. I can see where some people would be put off by that. Its a space opera, not unlike the novels of David Weber or William Dietz. One man faces terrifying odds to fix what's wrong with the universe. Its improbable and sometimes illogical, but its entertaining and goes places that most made-for-the-screen sci-fi simply won't go.

Its a shame that "Riddick" flopped at the box office. This is, by far, Vin Diesel's best character. He was born to play Riddick. And Twohy is a great action/spook film director (check out "Below" to see what I'm talking about).

This **could** have been a wonderful series of films. If you've seen this through to the end, you know what I'm talking about. That ending yielded many possibilities.

"Riddick" is not without its flaws. The pacing of the Director's Cut is a little uneven, but not ponderous. You get much more backstory than the theatrical release. Karl Urban is in total camp mode (his haircut is simply criminal). You gotta wonder what drew Judi Dench to this project. She gives more grace to her underwritten role than it deserves, although I suspect her character would've been expanded had "Riddick" yielded a sequal. Thandie Newton, doing her best Lady MacBeth impression, is just terrible. Her scenes with Dench are a study in opposites. Colm Feore is somewhat menacing, but why do I keep remembering him from "Chicago" while watching this movie? And Nick Chinlund is always good for a laugh.

For all of its flaws, "Riddick" is a fun, imaginative space romp. I'd love to see more like it, but the audience just isn't there. Maybe Diesel will further expand this alternate universe like he did in his company's exceptional video game, "Escape from Butcher Bay".

Mediocre Mediocre Mediocre.......2005-07-08

This fil is as I say Mediocre if you like Vin Diesal buy this DVD. if you like Action buy this DVD if you like Entertainment

DONT BUY IT!!!

A Mediocre Sci-Fi Epic.......2005-02-19

Vin Diesel returns as the character Riddick introduced in the earlier sci-fi film "Pitch Black". The film is grand in terms of concept and special effects, but its script and direction is less than stellar.

Unfortunately, Riddick's character is one-dimensional: there's no change or revelation in his character which is the basis for solving any sort of mystery or riddle. This is the typical theme structure of an epic narrative/movie. The film's epic status attempts are evident in the plot structure. Our hero is an outcast or in the shadows; people come to him as their last hope to save the world; he has to face an unknown threat alone; he overcomes the threat because of some revelation/transformation and becomes a changed man. The film's plot fails to carry such a theme because Riddick doesn't change as a character and doesn't really seem to be challenged too much. The film actually follows more a comic-book structure where the protagonist is simply an out-of-the-box perfect superhero who goes into a grand finale with an arch-villain and wins.

In short, the film has an interesting story line and great special effects but fails to live up to its potential. The plot is weak and supports only an incomplete theme that's based on a one-dimensional character.

I'm not afraid of the dark -- just this sequel........2004-12-16

You know, when you hear they're making a sequel to a movie like Pitch Black (which I loved), your first reaction is, "Cool!" and then you think, "I hope they don't screw it up." Well, they screwed it up.

"Pitch Black" had a simple plot, believable characters, and an element of tension that never let up. This movie had cool costumes, nice scenery, a simple plot made needlessly confusing in an effort to be "important," one-dimensional, stereotypical characters and really, really bad names for things. And Vin Diesel, of course.

Once again, he's our anti-hero Riddick, pursued by bounty hunters then enlisted to take on the evil invading "Necromongers." The Necromongers capture him, realize he's dangerous and, naturally, have to take him into the heart of their flagship to have a closer look. Yeah, that's what I'd do with a dangerous enemy if I were a one-dimensional comic book villain. Not.

They have to bring him into their ship to be examined by some kind of giant beetle-like creatures whose purpose is never explained and which you barely get a clear look at (because when you can see them clearly, they probably look a lot like big fake rubbery giant beetles). The bugs declare Riddick dangerous indeed and, since they can communicate in that annoying hissy echo-whisper voice the movies use to indicate that evil creatures are speaking telepathically, they insist that he must be destroyed!

But, before that edict can be carried out, Riddick somehow escapes and gets whisked away by the bounty hunters again. This time, they take him to the prison world "Crematoria" for the sole purpose of having him get sweaty during some "Pitch Black" style cross-country racing against time. (This was the best part of the movie, by the way. Too bad about the other 9 hours worth of misery.) Only this time, the enemy is the sun. Seems the planet's surface heats up to 700 degrees in the daylight, immolating anyone who doesn't happen to be standing in the shade or just inside the mouth of a cave. Apparently, convection doesn't work on this planet.

Finally, Riddick has to get back for his eventual showdown with the bad guys. I won't tell you how that turns out because you'll need a reason to stay awake once the interesting bits on "Crematoria" are over with. That and the fascinating action sequences where the camera wobbles around and everything gets blurry so you have to really pay attention to tell what's going on. Man I loved those.

I could complain more (about the campy-vampy ambitious chick, for example, or Judy Dench's weird character who seemed to be there only to add the illusion of class to the film), but I've already wasted enough time on this movie. I'm going to watch "Pitch Black" again to remind myself how much I really liked it, and try to forget I ever saw this mess.

The Best Version So Far.......2004-11-05

The director's cut for Chronicles of Riddick truly fleshes out the characters and add more depth to the plot. It full of large and minor changes including dialogue and scene replacements. Overall, this Director's Cut adds at least 15+ minutes of extra footage. I feel this version works best compared to the thin plot the theatrical version has to offer. The show is somehow darker now and Riddick seems cooler and more mysterious like he did in the first movie. I was also happy they reinstated scenes showing Riddick's 'special power' and some unrated action. This should have been the version that released in the cinemas but instead they go for a more action oriented version with a PG rating. This IS the best sci-fi film 2004 has to offer. I highly recommend this Director's Cut DVD to any movie fans out there.

The Chronicles of Riddick (Theatrical Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Hd-dvd transfer is awesome. 5 stars plus
worth watching over and over and over!!!!!
HD-DVD - This one is wonderful
best HD DVD transfer available
Broke the Mold

The Chronicles of Riddick (Theatrical Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Vin Diesel , Colm Feore , Thandie Newton , Judi Dench , and Karl Urban
Director: David Twohy
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002VEUTO
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Customer Reviews:

Hd-dvd transfer is awesome. 5 stars plus.......2007-06-24

The best sci-fi movie of all time. great story. great action. Guns, swords the works. This is a must own.

worth watching over and over and over!!!!!.......2007-05-27

HD-DVD - This one is wonderful.......2007-05-12

best HD DVD transfer available.......2007-05-07

Broke the Mold.......2007-03-29

Average customer rating:

Pitch Black - The Chronicles of Riddick
Starring: Vin Diesel
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

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The Chronicles of Riddick (Unrated) (UMD Mini For PSP)
The Fifth Element (UMD Mini for PSP)
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Mr. and Mrs. Smith (UMD Mini for PSP)

Accessories:

Sony PSP PlayGear Amp
Sony PSP Comfort Grips Black
Sony PSP Psyclone Nodus Sound System
Sony PSP Travel Case

ASIN: B000A7DW08
Release Date: 2005-09-20

The Chronicles of Riddick - Pitch Black (Full Screen Unrated Director's Cut)

Average customer rating:

Director's log
Great movie even better on HD-DVD
good movie
Not too hot
SPACESHIP-WRECK SURVIVORS

The Chronicles of Riddick - Pitch Black (Full Screen Unrated Director's Cut)
Starring: Vin Diesel , Radha Mitchell , Cole Hauser , Keith David , and Lewis Fitz-Gerald
Director: David Twohy
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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